What do you think

[Barbara Dodds]

I think things could be a lot harder.

As has previously been said social mobility is one factor, as are co-habiting, unmarried mothers and the fact that you don't have to take your husbands surname.

I know of one family where the parents are married, wife has kept her maiden name and the childrens births are registered as xxx ap **** in the Welsh fashion, where **** is the fathers Christian name. I think they would be almost impossible to trace if you didn't already know the answers

[Phoenix]

I tried to make life easier for researchers... by appearing TWICE on several censuses. Unfortunately, as someone said, that loophole is now closed.

[JBee]

In some ways it will be easier -

in that so many people are researching their family trees and will be leaving them to family members who hopefully will look after them and pass them down.

so many records held about people in different data bases.

but then I look at various branches of current tree and think no way will people be able to make head or tail of the different relationships in the future.

Also whereas in the past you could see where entries had been corrected and often a reason why - with the computer age its gone at the touch of a button and new info submitted without any indication a change has been made.

If you look at the format information has been recorded on over the last few years - will there be the technology to decipher older records on obsolete sytems?

Who's to say that records willl be kept longer than a few years or some idiot hasn't deleted huge chunks by mistake!!!

If the current birth rate continues and with integration of many nationalities most people will have many different foreign ancestors whose records may not be too easy to research ie worse than Irish ancestors currently.

[maggie_4_7]

Much Easier

I voted easier, I think because we are more organised and consistent with keeping records presently and we're more literate. Not so many mispellings or misunderstandings on where you were born - can't happen now. In fact Big Brother can't get enough of it. Data protection don't make me laugh...

We can't see them at the moment but imagine in 150 years time! Old census', Birth records, Credit Cards, NI numbers, Telephone directories, Electorial rolls, Blogs, myspace, face book,192.com and last but not least all those family trees and photographs uploaded willy nilly to the internet :p you'll probably be able to access CCTV for the street you're researching.

Of course that could make it harder - the too much information clause but if they're good researchers they'll cross check all their information - what would have taken us a few months/years will probably take them hours. Just ask anyone on this forum who started 20-30 years ago.

xx
Maggie

EDIT to say: also they'll have so many photographs they'll get sick of them, I only wish I had some photos of my ancestors just to see what they looked like especially my gg grandmother Caroline - she was a one off.

[maggie_4_7]

Although in view of your last comment - yes it will get more complicated, especially those tracing the dysfunctional, single mother with several kids from several different fathers....

Why?

All births are still recorded in the same way nothing has changed.

xx

Maggie

[Olde Crone Holden]

Maggie

No, I disagree.

Research was certainly slower 20 years ago, but I think it was probably more accurate in some ways because there was little to distract you - you identified the parish and you searched through the records, making your own judgements about what you found.

There was little exchange of information between strangers which had the advantage of limiting the barmy tree builders.

My biggest surprise when I got on the internet was the enormous numbers of rubbish trees which float around as gospel and are eagerly copied by the unsuspecting newbie, who then passes it on as gospel and so on...

Although the internet has made it much easier and faster to search for resources and information, it has had the unwanted effect of making people think they can do it all on line - you can't.

And I don't think you will be able to in 200 years time, either, because the same misinformation will be floating around, the same wrong assumptions and the same idea that you can create a family tree using the internet alone.

OC

[maggie_4_7]

Maggie

No, I disagree.

Research was certainly slower 20 years ago, but I think it was probably more accurate in some ways because there was little to distract you - you identified the parish and you searched through the records, making your own judgements about what you found.

There was little exchange of information between strangers which had the advantage of limiting the barmy tree builders.

My biggest surprise when I got on the internet was the enormous numbers of rubbish trees which float around as gospel and are eagerly copied by the unsuspecting newbie, who then passes it on as gospel and so on...

Although the internet has made it much easier and faster to search for resources and information, it has had the unwanted effect of making people think they can do it all on line - you can't.

And I don't think you will be able to in 200 years time, either, because the same misinformation will be floating around, the same wrong assumptions and the same idea that you can create a family tree using the internet alone.

OC

I agree with you but amongst all the misinformation will be a lot of real information as long as one is a good reasearcher and as I said crosschecks everything and doesn't take anything on face value just like now then it will be easier in so much that the first resource will be on-line.

Even the information on where to go or who to telephone how to do things and where to start.

Its access to information and instruction that makes it easier.

Forums with people that have already done it! and can explain the pitfalls and also the routes. The sharing of information is paramount. Some people may be precious about their personal tree information that is their perogative but information about how to do it, where to go, who to telephone etc.

As for people who build up family trees without real constructive research should be shot on sight. I've never understood it. The real kick is when you find that elusive ancestor and how interesting they are and they are RELATED and you know them well by the end of it, in fact so well you're proud of them whoever or whatever they were and whatever they did.

I've had a few hot matchs on GR and have been contacted - my family on my grandmother's side seem really popular they're appearing all over the place. I have put a few right on that but a few chose to ignore me for some reason! Whatever!!



xx
Maggie

[Jean and Tonic]

I have a friend who's husband took her name when they married ........that will be confusing !

She said his name was boring ....... so they both decided to take hers.

[maggie_4_7]

I find that strange. The history of names must be whatever you're mother/father's was, I know over the centuries the spellings have changed and whatnot but the essence was always family name.

I have never liked my names purely from a just a 'not like' reason, I have my father's name, I never knew him its the only thing he gave me. I have always revered my mother's family they brought me up they are my family but I wouldn't ever change my name because it's MY name. Even when I got married I had a chance to but I didn't.

I've always thought we should change that thing about taking the husband's name but then I don't think they should change their's either.

xx

Maggie

[Len of the Chilterns]

I suspect it will be easier, due to Big Brother and evermore detailed records but will be much more difficult to print out trees owing to lack of permanence in marriages/partnerships.

One neice already causes me a headache, having got through 3 husbands with two children from each relationship, each child apparently set on emulating mum. Thankfully (for me, if not for her) she is now beyond the child-bearing age. Having said that, I wonder if she and her current partner have thoughts re IVF or adoption.

Why did I ever get involved with genealogy?

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

If we are talking about people doing a tree in say 200 years time, maybe we should remember that those of us who say we will be difficult to trace are only part of one branch (usually, anyway!) of that future person's tree.

We probably all have some branches which are really tricky and others that are not too difficult. Maybe it will be just the same for others in the future?

[Olde Crone Holden]

Merry

Errr...are you insinuating that I will not be the most interesting person on my descendants tree in 200 years time???

Mind you, if Ancestry get hold of me, it won't matter much whether I told the truth or not - they have managed to turn my Daniel Urquhart into David Linguhant, a locomotive Lugins Bleaner, born in Gamrie, Gansie, or Gavvie, which is in the county of variously, Banffshire, Aberdeen and Lanarkshire, depending which census you consult.

OC

[KiwiChris]

I think that the difficulty of people moving around is something that we, the children of migrants, already face. Almost every branch of my family involves different birth/marriage/death places in this country, let alone the fact that they all arrived here from different parts of the UK!

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Merry

Errr...are you insinuating that I will not be the most interesting person on my descendants tree in 200 years time???

No!

Only that if they get stuck with you they will move on to another line!!

They won't know you would have been a "gateway ancestor" if only you hadn't been so secretive about yourself!! lolol

[Olde Crone Holden]

*makes post it note to self: write "I am a gateway ancestor" on the next census*

OC